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PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. REIFF, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDSTO WILLIAM A. NICHOLS, OF SAME PLACE.

TO'YPUZZLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 244,768, dated July 26,1881,

Application filed June 22, 1881. (N0 model.)

To all whom t't may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. REIFF, of theoityand county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have inventedan Improvement in Toy Puzzles, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention has reference to toy puzzles; and it consists in providinga number of cubes or other solids having flat faces or sides, with afigure upon ene of the sidesand letters upon those remaining; further,in providing said cubes with the usual dice-dots; and, finally,

combining said cubes, or their equivalent, with a given number and ofdifferently-shaped geometrical prisms, all of which are more fully setforth in the following specification and shown in the accompanyingdrawings, which form part thereof.

The object of this invention is to so construct and figure theblocksthat when the same are set with their numbers uppermost in a givenorder they can then be turned about without changing their relativeorder or positions to spell a word, and to adapt said cubes or blocks tobe used as dice; and, further, in arranging the geometrical prisms withthe cubes so that various geometrical figures may be made, said figuresbeing both instructive and interesting The number of games to young andold alike. or puzzles to the set of blocks referred to above andhereinafter described is almost infinite.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved puzzlearranged within a box with its lid open. Fig. 2 is a plan of same. Fig.3 is a perspective view of one of the, cubes. Figs. 4 and 5 illustratethe use of the cubes in one form of a puzzle.

A is the low-sided or shallow box adapted to contain the blocks orprisms.

B are nine cubes provided on the sides with the usual dice-dots toenable them to be used for any game in which dice are necessary. Theseblocks are further provided on one side with a figure or number, andon'the remaining sides are letters selected from the alphabet and variedin manufacture at pleasure to suit a different set of words.

One use of the blocks B by themselves and .three times the triangularprism E, and its independent of the geometrical prisms is illustrated inFigs. 4. and 5. Here the cubes are set with the figures on top in theorder given in the key to the puzzle, and when this is done it remainsto spell a word, using all of the cubes without changing their relativepositions. When set up as shown in Fig.4'the word which may be spelledis originate, as

shown in Fig. 5. This at first sight appears to be very simple, but whenthe number of variations which can be made with the nine cubes,

each having five letters thereon, is considered it is seen that an houror more mightbe spent before the word could be found. By merelyarranging the figures in other orders other words can be spelled. Ofcourse it will be readily understood that I can use more or less of thecubes as desired, as the principle would remain the same,and in place ofcubes any other solid having sides or faces may be used. There are manyother games which may be played with these cubes by themselves.

The prisms O, D, E, F, G, and H,- with the cubes, complete a squarewhich fits into the box A. These prisms are constructed as follows:Prism Chas a triangular base, said triangle being right-angled, andhaving its base and. altitude equal to twice the length of one of thesides of the cubes. Prism D is a triangular prism homologous with prismC, only it has but one-half the area; or, in other words, it has aright-angled triangular base, the hypotenuse of said triangle beingequal to twice the length of the side of cubes B. Prism E is homologouswith prisms G and D, and its base has one-quarter the area of that ofprism O and one-half the area of the base of prism D; or, in otherwords, its base and altitude are equal to the length of one side ofcubes B.

-Prisms F and G have trapeziums for bases,

and are equal in area to twice the prism E, and have their shortestsides equal in length to the side of cubes B. Prism H has a base in theshape of a quadrangle, and in area is equal to prism F, with theaddition of 'a prism, E, to one of its short sides, has an area equal toshortest side is equal to the side of cubes B.

These prisms, in combination with the cubes, enable a hundred or morechanges to be made, forming geometrical figures which are difficult tosolve, and are both interesting and instructive. For instance, theblocks may be placed in the box to form a square in four different ways,four squares of different areas may be set up,and the same maybe said ofrectangles and trapeziums. A jumping-jack may be clearly outlined bothbefore and after pulling the string, ahead may be formed, &c. In fact,the figures which these blocks will form are numerous, some beingexceedingly difficult to setup. Thevariationsin games and puzzles whichcan be played with it render it acombinationpuzzle of great value.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a puzzle, two or more blocks having sides or faces thereon, one ofsaid sides being provided with a figure or number and the remainingsides with letters, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a toy puzzle, two or more cubical blocks provided upon their sideswith the usual dicedots, one of said sides being provided with a numberand the remaining sides with letters, substantially as and for thepurpose specified.

3. In a toy puzzle, the combination of three right-angled triangularprisms in the ratio of 1, 2, and 3, two prisms with trapezium bases,said bases having an area equal to twice the area of the smallesttriangular prism, and one prism having an area equal to three times thearea of the small triangular prism, and having a quadrangular base,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. In a toy puzzle, the combination of the cubes B with prisms O, D, E,F, G, and H, all constructed and shaped substantially as shown anddescribed.

In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM H. REIFF.

Witnesses:

LoUIs J. MA'ros, LISLE STOKES.

